The Taurid meteor shower occurs due to the debris left behind by Comet 2P/Encke, with some additional material derived from Asteroid 2004 TG10. This shower is unique because it has two parts: the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. Most of the Southern Taurids come from the comet, while debris from both the comet and the asteroid contributes to the Northern Taurids, which might actually be on a longer stream itself, perhaps part of a larger comet that broke apart long ago. Since the debris is distributed over vast stretches of space, Earth passes through it for a considerable period, producing these two streams. The usually low rate of meteors in the Taurids-approximately five to ten per hour-is typical for this meteor shower, but they are known for their bright, slow-moving meteors that light up the night sky. The explanation according to the Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) is that the huge spread and size of the debris explain why this shower has two parts. For the stargazers, then, it gives a mellow yet beautiful event.

The Leonids Meteor Shower was once such an awaited annual event for all meteor lovers and the amateur stargazer, because it reached its heights on the nights of November 17-18, 2024. The phenomenon associated with Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which takes around 33 years to sweep back and forth from the Sun, leaves behind a residual trail of debris around its orbit. When our planet travels through this debris trail, the little tiny particles catch fire inside our atmosphere, forming streaks as meteors.

During the peak period in 2024, Leonid showers brought around 14-15 meteors in an hour. Although the number is modest as compared to some meteor showers, the Leonids are known for their very fast and bright meteors which generally leave behind glowing trails known as persistent trains. Entering the Earth's atmosphere at velocities of up to 71 kilometers per second, they are definitely among the fastest meteors recorded.

This year, however, the full moon got in the way of observing since it pretty much washed out the faintest meteors. In spite of that, the brightest still came through for a little bit of a show for those who were willing to seek out the dark into the city lights. Primarily though, the best times to view the Leonids were in the early dawn hours, after midnight when the radiant point-the point in the sky from which the meteors apparently originate-was higher. This point is in the constellation Leo, which is how this meteor shower earned its name.

On November 18, 2024, India had the distinction of successfully getting GSAT-20 aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. In fact, this was the first time an Indian satellite was launched on a rocket based entirely in the US. GSAT-20 is a highly throughput communication satellite and weighs over 4,700 kilograms, aimed at revolutionising telecommunications architecture in India. This satellite will offer high-end broadband connectivity, which will support projects like smart cities and provide access to the internet even in remote and underprivileged regions.

The satellite was flown into geosynchronous transfer orbit after a flight of 34 minutes. GSAT-20 was confirmed healthy by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) upon launch, and operations were immediately taken over by the Master Control Facility. Designed for an operational life span of 14 years, GSAT-20 is optimally equipped to give a massive boost towards the Internet capability of India and assist in closing the digital divide in the country.

This mission marks yet another advance towards international cooperation for India's space program. By taking advantage of such a hi-tech rocket as the Falcon 9 from SpaceX, India showed its commitment to use state-of-the-art technologies for national advancement. The successful deployment of GSAT-20 is set to prove a booster for building India much more in digital infrastructure and connectivity, making the shift of India into a high-tech future and an economy-rich state.